Memento Found
by Maeve Bran
Summary: A post ep for Memento Mori. Vala/Daniel one shot.


**Title**: Memento Found

**Author**: Maeve Bran

**Rating**: T

**Summary**: A post ep for Memento Mori. Vala/Daniel one shot.

**Disclaimer**: I don't own Stargate SG-1. I'm just having a little fun.

**Notes**: Originally written December 20, 2006.

* * *

Daniel watched the rest of SG-1 and General Landry leave his office. He was sure none of them believed that he and Vala hadn't been on a date. Sam had seemed surprised at the idea, but not mad. The others had similar reactions. General Landry had even seemed to give the idea his blessing.

Daniel had been serious in his non romantic intentions when he had asked Vala to dinner. Sure, he thought she was attractive, but that had never been enough for him. Vala pushed all of the wrong buttons and frustrated him like no one else. Now, Daniel was gradually beginning to appreciate just how much she had grown in the last year. He shook his head, then quit his musings and hurried to join the rest of the team for dinner.

The dinner was fun. Sam kept teasing Mitchell about losing his pants. Teal'c seemed to be laughing, but it was always hard to tell with the Jaffa. Daniel stayed largely silent, just happy to have been proved right once more. Vala was quiet too, still stunned at being accepted in the group.

It was nearly ten when they left the restaurant. Daniel volunteered to give Vala a ride back to the base, claiming that he had forgotten some notes he wanted to look at before the briefing the next day. The rest of the team gave him looks that said 'Yeah, sure.' Truthfully, Daniel wanted a chance to talk to Vala and had made up the excuse because otherwise she would have ridden back with Teal'c, who still had a car even though he lived on base.

Daniel didn't say anything until they were alone in the second elevator and actually in the SGC. "Vala, I'm glad you're back."

"Daniel, you didn't drive all the way back here to tell me that," Vala returned. "Out with it. What ever it is."

"All right. I wanted you to know that I understand what it is to have your memories gone and have to recover them," Daniel explained. "If you need some one to talk to, I'm here for you."

"Thank you," Vala accepted. Then after they had exited the elevator on her level, she inquired, "When did you lose your memories?"

"It has actually happened twice," Daniel said, stalling a little.

"Twice?" Vala seemed surprised.

"Both times were after I ascended and chose to retake human form. The first time, I woke up naked in the middle of a field on Vis Uban with no memory. The second, I was naked in Jack O'Neill's office with no memory, though I recovered much quicker that time," Daniel explained. He hoped she wouldn't focus on the naked part, but knew it wasn't very likely.

They had reached Vala's door. She opened it, but paused before stepping inside. "Ooh, naked," she said, then leaned up and whispered in his ear. "Any chance I could..."

"Um, no," Daniel blushed. "I'll say good night. If you need me, I'll be across the hall."

Daniel turned and went back down to his office to catch up on some work he had let slide while they were looking for Vala. A couple hours after that, Daniel was back in his quarters. He had spent so many nights on base lately that he was actually considering moving permanently here and selling his house. He hadn't yet because he still desperately wanted to believe he had a life outside of the SGC.

He took a quick shower, pulled on a pair of flannel pajama pants and then went to bed. He was just about to drift off to sleep when there was a frantic knock on his door. He got up sluggishly, then opened the door to find a distressed Vala standing there. She was dressed in a olive green camisole top and satin pajama pants.

She was obviously scared of something, so Daniel pulled her into the room and into his arms in one motion. He gently shut the door with his foot while making comforting murmurings against her hair.

Once she had calmed down a bit he lead her over to sit on the edge of the bed. He sat beside her and asked, "Want to tell me about it?"

"Not really. I had some really vivid dreams of my time as Qetesh's host." Vala shuddered.

"You don't have to say any more, I can guess what you dreamed," Daniel said soothingly as he placed an arm around her shoulders.

Vala turned and buried her face in his chest for a few minutes. When she had recovered, she sat up and asked, "How do you know what it is like to have the memories of a Goa'uld to recover?"

"I don't, but I have some pretty bad memories. My wife..." Daniel started.

"You said she was a host," Vala supplied.

"She was host to Amaunet, Apophis' queen. What I didn't tell you is that she bore Apophis a human child-- a Harcesis-- that I delivered. Not only that, she was killed to save me. She had me in the grip of a ribbon device and was about to kill me. Teal'c stepped into the tent and shot her dead," Daniel continued.

Vala was stunned. The man beside her was incredible. He had lost so much and yet here he was giving to her the support she needed. She wondered who had been there for him. He probably hadn't let anyone help him.

Vala looked up at him and placed her arms around his shoulders and murmured, "Daniel, I am so sorry."

Daniel stilled. It had been a while since anyone had tried to offer him comfort for all he had endured. It was strange, but he rather liked the feeling. He had been so strong for so long that now he just slumped in Vala's arms.

"Sha're died seven years ago. I miss her dreadfully, but she is better off no longer being a host," Daniel said a few minutes later as he pulled himself together. "But we were talking about you, not me."

"Daniel, have you ever taken the time to grieve for her? For what you never had the chance to have?" Vala asked, concerned that if he reacted this way seven years later then he may not have actually grieved.

"I left the Stargate Program briefly, but Sha're had given me a message about her son through the ribbon device. She wanted me to find him and keep him safe," Daniel said.

"So you came back. Did you find the boy?" Vala asked.

"I did. He was in the care of Oma Desala. She was better able to care for him then I ever could," Daniel answered.

"Why?" Vala asked not recognizing the name.

"Oma Desala is an Ascended being. She was the one who helped me ascend both times. Last I saw Shifu, that's Sha're's son, he was ascended as well. He had managed to suppress the genetic memory of the Goa'uld and was happy," Daniel explained. "Shifu is not my son but I was sad to see him go. He was my last link to Sha're."

Vala tightened her arms around Daniel. He usually seemed so well adjusted, but he clearly was just masking the pain. "He is not your last link to Sha're. Your memories are," Vala tried to comfort him.

Daniel looked into her eyes and gave a small smile. "You're right. I have the memories of that year of happiness." He moved out of her embrace. "Thank you for reminding me."

"You're welcome." Vala smiled back.

They sat in silence for a few minutes. Neither really wanted to talk, but both were glad to not be alone with painful memories.

"Uh, Daniel," Vala started to say.

"Yeah?" Daniel said, encouragingly.

"Can I stay here the rest of the night?" she asked. When he gave her a surprised look she clarified, "Not like that. I just don't want to be alone."

Daniel thought for a moment before he answered. "If you can keep your hands to yourself and not mention it to the others, then sure, you can stay."

"They won't hear about it from me," Vala said earnestly.

"Right, the guys in the security booth. Oh well, let's just hope they don't have big mouths," Daniel said as he got up and turned off the lights. "And the keeping your hands to yourself part?"

Vala had crawled under the covers by this time. "I will if you will."

"Deal," Daniel said as he slid in beside her.

They lay side by side, inches away from each other, neither saying anything. Both not eager to sleep but not really wanting to continue the previous conversation either.

Vala finally broke the silence. "So tell me, Daniel, how long has it been since you had a woman in your bed?"

Daniel was momentarily shocked, but he really shouldn't have been. "Well, not counting that trip to the Ori galaxy, when we were Harrid and Salis, I'd have to say nine years. But let's not dwell on that," he answered.

"Ooh, sounds like there is a story," Vala started to tease. Then a thought occurred to her. "Wait, you said Sha're died seven years ago. When exactly did you marry her?"

"I married Sha're eleven years ago," Daniel said, knowing there was no way he could get out this without explaining the entire embarrassing story. "How much do you know about Hathor?"

"Not much. She was missing for a long time and not in the picture for most of my time as Qetesh. Although she did surface for a while a couple years before I was freed," Vala said as she turned on her side to face him.

"That would be my fault," Daniel said sheepishly.

"Your fault?" Vala said, surprised. "How exactly did that happen?"

"An archeologist found Hathor's sarcophagus in Mexico and sent it to me. Unfortunately, she had already been let out in Mexico; she sensed the Stargate and came here. She took over the base by intoxicating all the men of the SGC-- me included."

"That must have been interesting," Vala said.

"That's not really the word for it," Daniel said. "Hathor for some reason chose me as her 'beloved', to be the one to 'contribute the code of life' for her new 'children'. She had me under her influence and I didn't really have control of what I was doing," he explained. "But Jack had the worst part of the deal."

"What happened to General O'Neill?" Vala asked, intrigued.

Daniel smirked, "Hathor chose him to be her first new Jaffa."

Vala gasped. "Obviously he is no longer a Jaffa, so what happened?"

"Sam put him in the sarcophagus and it healed him. Sam, Janet, and Teal'c led the women of the base to defeat Hathor and bring us men back to our senses," Daniel continued the story. "But everyone involved has tried to forget the incident."

"Wasn't Hathor on the list of Goa'uld that SG-1 has brought down?" Vala asked.

"Jack threw her into a cryogenic vat before her ship was blown up, but that was almost two years later," Daniel explained.

"She got what she deserved," Vala agreed. She then returned to her previous question. "So besides our trip to Ver Ager and Hathor, the last time you had a woman in your bed was...?"

"Sha're," Daniel said simply.

Vala didn't know what to say so she let the subject drop. She had suspected that Sha're might have been the last woman Daniel had been with from his reactions when he had told her about Sha're on the Ori ship, and when Vala had snuck into Daniel's bed a year ago. Vala hadn't understood at the time, but his reaction to finding her there made some sense now. She had been offended at the time, but now she knew he was still mourning his wife.

Daniel wondered what was going on in Vala's extremely agile mind. Well sort of, he also dreaded what else she might ask. Maybe he'd ask Landry to let Vala see his file so he wouldn't have give her these painfully embarrassing explanations of his life. Then again, Daniel had just told Vala the worst and most embarrassing thing he had ever done, so the explanations should get easier from here on out.

Before he knew it, they were both asleep. The conversation had helped them both, and there were no further nightmares that night.

-x-


End file.
